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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24161281">Brighter than the Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sibellla/pseuds/Sibellla'>Sibellla</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne &amp; Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angsty Albus Potter, Autistic Scorpius Malfoy, Badass Rose Granger-Weasley, Cinnamon Roll Scorpius Malfoy, Everyone Is Gay, Harry Potter Next Generation, Intense Delphi Diggory, M/M, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Scorbus, basically it's hpcc BUT as a superpower au, bc why not</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:47:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24161281</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sibellla/pseuds/Sibellla</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the summer before Albus Potter's seventh and final year of schooling. It's tough to live in a family full of superheroes when you're the unimpressive and unseen son, isn't it? Thankfully, Scorpius Malfoy is there to make everything better. The only problem? The Malfoys are a well-known supervillain family, and the country has been stirring with supervillain activity...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sparks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <strong>YEAR ONE</strong>
</p><p class="p1">Platform 9 ¾ is ablaze with excitement. It should be: it’s a sunny day and the beginning of the school year is filled with wonder and possibilities. Families flock to the Hogwarts Express with shrieking children. Those who aren’t lucky enough to attend Hogwarts glance over at the train in interest before going about their business. Around the train station, there are whispers and glances over as the Chosen One leads his picture-perfect family. James is sporting red hair, as usual. Families born with superpowers are rare and seeing someone with powers is riveting. Seeing the Chosen one, specifically, is a complete and absolute <em>honor</em>. It’s no wonder people point and stare as Harry Potter arrives; his family is renown for its supremacy among superheroes. It’s not just anyone who can and <em>has</em> defeated the Dark Lord.</p><p class="p1">It all happened before Albus was born, <em>way</em> before he was ever born, but it seems as though he can’t ever get through a single day without hearing about the brave tales of the Chosen One. It gets tiring. He doesn’t mean to sound ungrateful, truly, he doesn’t. Yet, everywhere they go, everyone always wants to hear about Harry Potter and his superpowered family. There’s Ginny Potter, with the ability to set fire to anything with a snap of her fingers; there’s James and his shapeshifting abilities (though he often focuses on changing his hair to silly colors); there’s Lily Luna and her flying capacities. Then there’s Albus, who has… nothing. Nothing! Imagine that: Harry Potter’s son, without an <em>ounce</em> of power. Some superhero family, huh?</p><p class="p1">Still, Hogwarts is open to anyone. You don’t <em>have</em> to have a superpower; you just have to have superhero potential. Aunt Hermione is a prime example. She hasn’t got a hint of a superpower, though Albus swears her intelligence has got to be a power of its own. Still, the majority of the students have got some type of power. It’s one of the most competitive boarding schools in Britain and probably in the whole world.</p><p class="p1">The worst thing is that Albus knows he only got in because his dad is Harry Potter.</p><p class="p1">“I wish I could join you!” Lily says, her eyes sparkling. She takes Albus’s hand and warmly squeezes it. Her smile is almost bright enough to melt Albus’s anxiety away. She alternates between skipping and floating a few inches above the ground. “Oh, Al, you’re so lucky! I wish I could go with you. But – soon!”</p><p class="p1">“Soon,” Albus agrees, trying to sound more confident than he feels. Just because he’s terrified doesn’t mean he needs to dampen Lily’s excitement. It’s difficult to stay positive when everyone’s staring, though. They're always staring.</p><p class="p1">“Be safe, okay, Lil’ Lily? Don’t fly too high unless you’re comfortable. I’m always an OWL away.”</p><p class="p1">“I know,” she says, stopping and hugging him tightly. Albus is going to miss this; he’ll miss Lily and mum and he might even miss dad, though he won’t miss the staring and the pointing. As soon as Lily pulls away, James playfully tugs on one of Albus’s sleeves.</p><p class="p1">He whirls around, but James is already several feet away from him, laughing again. Albus sighs and pulls his sleeve back down. His mum rolls her eyes.</p><p class="p1">“James, give it a rest!” she orders, but then she turns to Albus and hugs him tightly. “Have a good first year, Albus. Remember: we’re here for you.”</p><p class="p1">“You’ll write to me?” Albus whispers, sounding just about as confident as he feels, which is <em>not at all.</em> Still, his mum knows just how to react. She takes his face into her hands after the hug and nods, tucking a piece of unruly hair behind his ear.</p><p class="p1">“Every day, if you want us to,” she promises.</p><p class="p1">“Well, not – not <em>every</em> day. James said –“</p><p class="p1">“You might not want to believe everything your brother says,” she interjects, laughing and pressing a kiss to his head. “He likes a laugh, your brother.”</p><p class="p1">Of course. He should have known. Albus swallows and then looks at his dad. His smile is genuine; Albus can’t deny that. Maybe he <em>will</em> miss his dad. He suddenly feels guilty for his earlier angsty thoughts. He’s eleven; he needs to relax. </p><p class="p1">“Dad… if I’m in Slytherin?” Albus asks. The Chosen One’s face darkens.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Albus wakes up.</em>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <strong>BEFORE YEAR SEVEN</strong>
</p><p class="p1">“Albus – Albus, did you see this?” Scorpius is frantically leafing through the <em>Prophet</em> and Albus blinks, trying to clear his head. Merlin, he’d thought he’d only dozed off for a moment, but it must’ve been longer than that if he’d had his stupid dreams again. But he can’t stay in a sour mood; he has that same dream at least once a week, and it’s impossible to stay in a mood around Scorpius.</p><p class="p1">“See – what?” he asks, still not fully awake. He pushes himself up on the couch. Scorpius isn’t even looking at him. His face is fully engrossed in the paper he’s reading. He gets so excited about the littlest of things, though Albus can’t tell is this is a good excitement or a bad one. He hopes the former, though, considering how absolutely dull these summer holidays are, he wouldn’t mind the latter.</p><p class="p1">“The ministry was attacked again, but Rose – your <em>cousin</em>, Rose Granger-Weasley – saved the day! Looks like it wasn’t a serious attack, just a couple of pyrokinetics having a go at one of the ministry's smaller bases, but Rose Granger-Weasley stopped them and held them up until the real superheroes arrived!”</p><p class="p1">Albus scratches his head. It sounds like Rose. Her power is super-strength, though she’s clearly inherited Aunt Hermione’s intelligence as well. She’s only an intern for the Department of Law Enforcement, but <em>of course</em> she’d go above and beyond. That girl’s going to be the next top superhero at only sixteen years old.</p><p class="p1">“I know she’s my cousin, Scorpius, you don’t have to remind me.” But he can’t resent Scorpius for that. He grins. “I thought you got over your crush ever since she started dating Polly Chapman last year…?”</p><p class="p1">Scorpius flushes, but he grins. “Yes, I’m over my crush, but I still really like her. Not a crush – a squish! It’s a platonic thing. ‘Sides, she and I are friends now.” He closes the paper and then finally turns to look at Albus. The sudden proximity startles them both. Albus had been trying to find a nice sitting spot in the couch and he’s ended up a little too close to Scorpius. They both back up, swiftly looking away.</p><p class="p1">“Er, sorry, I… were you <em>sleeping</em> sleeping? I didn’t mean to wake you,” Scorpius says, saving the moment. Albus is ever grateful for it. Scorpius is awkward and dorky, but it’s not in a manner that’s off-putting to Albus. In fact, Scorpius is arguably the person he feels most comfortable with.</p><p class="p1">“No, no, I wasn’t sleeping,” Albus quickly says, even though it’s clearly a lie. He yawns, too, to punctuate it. “Is it dinnertime yet?”</p><p class="p1">“That’s your seventh time asking since I got here at noon,” Scorpius says, but there’s no malice in his tone. Even his eyes are warm with amusement. Scorpius’s eyes are always warm. Albus needs only to look into them to relax. “But, no, it’s not dinnertime yet. It’s around four, I think. Your dad said he’d be home by six, right? Then he’d make dinner for everyone?”</p><p class="p1">“Yeah,” Albus says, admittedly a bit disappointed that it’s not dinnertime yet. They’re off sugar for the moment, per mum’s orders, and it’s taking a toll. It’s probably his candy addiction, thanks to Delphi. Once he adjusts, he supposes he’ll be fine. Besides, having Scorpius over lessens the sugar cravings. He can take off his mind off of candy (and everything else, really), and, as corny as it sounds, Scorpius is sweet enough to compensate for the lack of chocolate frogs and sugar quills.</p><p class="p1">Scorpius is about to say something when Ginny walks into the living room. Albus and Scorpius immediately turn over to her and she smiles knowingly.</p><p class="p1">“Not up to trouble, I hope?” she asks, but her voice is full of amusement. “I thought we’d sent James away to the superpower summer intensive he’d been begging to go to – that should’ve taken care of any pranks going on this summer.” She’s holding a piece of paper and holds it out to them. Scorpius immediately stands up and takes it, glancing down at it.</p><p class="p1">“Harry just OWLed me. He’ll be in a bit later tonight, because of the prank at the ministry. Nothing serious, but important to look into nonetheless. Can you boys get these ingredients from the grocery store? I’ll be starting dinner tonight.”</p><p class="p1">“Aw, mum, but we were having so much fun sitting here and doing nothing,” Albus whines, but he’s already up, grinning back at her. “‘Course we will. Where’s Lily? Does she want to come?”</p><p class="p1">Ginny is already handing Scorpius some money. She shakes her head.</p><p class="p1">“She’s with Delphi. They’re working on Lily’s posture while flying, though you may see them along the way. Oh, and – remember, we’re off sugar! Thank you again, boys.”</p><p class="p1">With that, she walks right back out of the living room. Scorpius grins and pockets the list and the money.</p><p class="p1">“Well? Let’s go get that dinner you’ve been asking about,” he says with his usual geeky grin. The excitement is contagious. A mission! Nothing like what Rose is off doing, but it’s still <em>something</em>.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">. . .</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">The walk itself is fairly uneventful. It’s a hilly, green area, though there are plenty of people about walking pets, enjoying the warm summer day, and reading outside. It’s a lazy, golden summer afternoon and the sun's rays are dazzling, though beginning to fade. <em>Just</em> beginning to fade.</p><p class="p1">Scorpius is golden, too. His power is evident the moment they step outside. With every step Scorpius takes, the grass turns a bit greener. There’s always a warm breeze that envelops them. The flowers turn to face Scorpius as the two of them walk. Dogs wag their tail excitedly and rush to beg for pets. Even birds whistle and fly near Scorpius when he’s around. Albus has joked that Scorpius is like a Disney princess, but it’s true. He literally <em>is</em> a Disney princess. Nature and animals alike brighten and fill with life as he walks by. Albus doesn’t know if his power extends to people, but Albus is always filled with comfort beside him. Then again, maybe Scorp’s power <em>doesn’t</em> affect people. He recalls the nasty words of the other Hogwarts students. They’d both been on the receiving end of rude remarks and unkind comments. Albus can understand why he was the subject of so much teasing. He’s a freakin’ Potter with no power. He is completely unimpressive. But Scorpius… Scorpius is only a target because of his family history. And Albus simply doesn't understand it.</p><p class="p1">So what if Scorpius carries the name of one of the darkest supervillain families? All the actual supervillains are in Azkaban and a name doesn't mean you're evil. And Scorpius is <em>literally</em> a ray of sunshine. That, and a Disney princess.</p><p class="p1">He shakes the thoughts away as they walk. Lily and Delphi are nowhere in sight, though Albus isn’t surprised. They’re adventurous, the two of them. He glances down at his friendship bracelet with fondness. The letters MPD glitter back at him in the sunlight. Yeah, laugh at him for having a friendship bracelet, but he’s never taking it off. Scorpius has one as well, throwing rays of light off of it as they walk.</p><p class="p1">“Are you, er… are you looking forward to our last year?” Albus asks suddenly. He doesn’t know what made him ask it. He already knows the answer, or, at least, he thinks he does. They’re having such a nice afternoon, too. Why ruin it with talk of Hogwarts? Scorpius’s smile slips a bit and Albus can see he’s hit a sore spot.</p><p class="p1">“Er… yeah, yeah. It’ll be fun.” The <em>fun</em> is a bit strained. It’s always strained for Slytherins. “I mean, I’ve got you, and you’re all I need. We’ve made it through six years, Albus. We’ll make it through one more.”</p><p class="p1">“Yeah… yeah, we will,” Albus echoes, though he isn’t so sure. He hasn’t let on just how bad the problems with his dad are getting. All sixteen year olds have issues with their families, but things are really starting to boil over. It’s only because Scorpius is over that everything seems to be okay – for now. But he fears it’ll only get worse once Scorp leaves. With James gone to his summer intensive, it’s only him, mum, Lily, and dad. Sometimes it’s Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron, Hugo, and Delphi, too. But it’s tough. James is off perfecting his shapeshifting skills and he’s already earned a position in the Department of Disguisement; Lily and Hugo are young enough to get away with not having summer projects, and, besides, Lily’s honing her already impressive power; Rose is off at her ultra-competitive internship saving the day, and Albus is… at home. He didn’t land any internships. He didn’t get into the camps he applied to. Mum assures him it’s okay: <em>you’re only sixteen, you’re entitled to a summer of rest before your last year</em>. But Albus can see everyone around him and he knows he’s not meeting the expectations. No, he’s so far below. At least he has Scorpius.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>For now.</em>
</p><p class="p1">“I worry,” he admits, filling the momentary pause. He has to pause one more time. He’s not ready. He doesn’t know how to explain. Will Scorpius understand? Of course he will, right? They’re best friends. “I, er… I worry. I mean, look at what Rose just did. She’s sixteen and she’s already doing jobs that real grown-ups do. She’ll get a full-time offer at the end of her internship, I know it. And James is off being James. He’s already got several offers lined up, but he’s going with Disguisement. Pretty impressive for an eighteen-year old.”</p><p class="p1">“I think you’re plenty impressive, Al,” Scorpius says seriously, turning to look over to him. In the sunlight, Albus swears he can see sunbeams dancing in Scorpius’s eyes. “We’re all different. We all develop at different paces. Besides, there’s plenty of people with no powers who do incredible things. Look at Polly Chapman. She’s got no powers and she’s got a superpower summer internship. There are plenty of superheroes who don’t actually have powers. You know that, right? In fact, most ‘real’ superheroes – by <em>real</em>, I mean, like, fully-registered and recognized ones – don’t actually have powers. Sure, the flashier ones who’re really well known usually tend to have ‘em, but… my point is, I know everything is going to be fine.”</p><p class="p1">It’s a lot to take in. Albus knows that statistic, but it still gives him pause.</p><p class="p1">“Yeah, well, Polly Chapman still <em>has</em> an internship,” he mutters. He’s going to say something else too, when he suddenly hears shouting from across the street. His eyes snap to the commotion. A fireball swoops down into the grocery store they were approaching. Both he and Scorpius stop in their tracks as the fireball plummets straight through a window, shattering it and likely catching the inside on fire.</p><p class="p1">“Oh, no…” Scorpius whispers, his eyes wide. Albus can briefly see the flames reflecting in his eyes, but now’s not the time to stop and chat.</p><p class="p1">“Let’s go,” he says, and he bolts into a run straight towards the shop.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading! Reviews would be highly appreciated! I apologize in advance; I'm an HPCC fan, but I haven't read the HP books or seen the movies in ages, so I apologize if I make any major errors.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Fire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <strong>BEFORE YEAR SEVEN</strong>
</p><p class="p1">Maybe other people’s first thoughts when faced with a burning building would be to run as quickly as possible in the opposite direction. But that’s not how Albus thinks. He can hear Scorpius behind him, calling out his name, telling him to wait. But Albus <em>can’t</em> wait. He can’t allow wiser heads to prevail.He wants to run to the little grocery store, the little corner-market of sorts, and –</p><p class="p1"><em>What, save the day?</em> a nasty voice whispers in the back of his mind. It sounds a little bit like Rose. Or maybe it sounds like Polly Chapman. If he thinks about it, it even sounds like his dad.</p><p class="p1">He ignores it and keeps bolting, all sense of self-preservation having left him long ago. His only objective is to ride in the thrill of the moment and let it carry him into whatever the hell’s going on inside that little store. He goes right through the doors.</p><p class="p1">It’s complete chaos inside. The store itself is fine. Customers are panicked and kids are crying, but the fireball hasn’t managed to legitimately set anything on fire. Most people are rushing towards the exits, but Albus looks around. A giant fireball like that can’t just disappear, right? Whoever set it off has to be in the proximity. They’ve either withdrawn the fireball or something really strange is going on.</p><p class="p1">Albus turns back in time to watch Scorpius dash through the doors and then through an aisle, trying to reach him. As he does, the pandemonium inside the store mounts. The items on the shelves begin falling off as more and more people rush towards the exit, knocking displays over. One particularly large and steely shelf topples over, burying Scorpius. It’s a large shelf, crashing down with heavy force. He hears Scorpius yelp in pain among the crowd and that’s what gets Albus to snap out of it.</p><p class="p1">What is he doing? What the <em>actual hell</em> is he doing? Running into a store where supervillains are likely attacking – what the <em>fuck</em> is that? Albus is stunned by his own actions. He makes his way towards Scorpius, pushing past a few remaining panicking people, all shrieking and shoving as they sprint towards the exit.</p><p class="p1">As he’s running towards Scorpius, he spots Lily in the back of the store. The flash of red hair is unmistakable, and it’s pulled up into the signature space buns that Rose has convinced Lily and Delphi to start donning. Lily looks dazed, disoriented – she’s blinking and looking around in confusion and panic. Though she’s fierce when she wants to be, all composed like a proper fourteen-year old, Albus is reminded of his Lil’ Lily from when they were younger. Hadn’t she been practicing her flying…?</p><p class="p1">But one issue at a time. Albus gets to Scorpius, trying to help him out from under the steely shelf.</p><p class="p1">“Scorpius, are you–are you alright? I see Lily–“</p><p class="p1">“I’m fine,” Scorpius says, quickly nodding. He grimaces in pain, though he’s clearly trying to hide it. “We need to get Lily and get out of here and run. Al, what were you–?”</p><p class="p1">“Later,” Albus says and runs towards Lily. <em>Later</em> because this is not the right time to have <em>that</em> conversation and <em>later</em> because even he doesn’t know the answer. His eyes stay trained on Lily, who’s dodging a falling shelf, her pink shirt stained with ash and soot.</p><p class="p1">“Lily? Lily, are you okay? What are you doing here?” Albus calls as he approaches her. His heart’s hammering in his chest. He can take care of himself, and maybe Scorpius can take care of himself as well, but it terrifies him to see Lily so terrified and upset. She whirls around at the sound of his voice and meets his eyes. He can see her usually sparkling and cheerful eyes begin to water. She ’s trembling as she rushes over to him.</p><p class="p1">“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she says, though she doesn’t sound fine. “We need to get out. I feel – I think –“</p><p class="p1">Albus doesn’t wait for her to finish, because she stops speaking, looking as though she’s not sure of what she’s saying. He grabs her hand like he used to when they were younger. Scorpius is keeping up with them too, still looking unreasonably pale. At least it’s easier to exit the market now that the majority of the people have cleared out. They scramble through the mess and head directly towards the exit. Outside, people are crying and some have started to take out their phones and record the building. Albus wants to snap at them to put their phones down and get help, when Scorpius suddenly makes a strangled noise.</p><p class="p1">“Albus – Albus, look,” he says urgently. Albus stops and turns around and pales.</p><p class="p1">Branded all over the side of the building is a mark of a black bird. It’s huge and it’s splotchy and it definitely hadn’t been there before. There’s something horribly ominous about it. At the center is a clearly defined A. There are hushes and whispers and all Albus knows is that this is a new supervillain, because he’s never seen such a mark before.</p><p class="p1">. . .</p><p class="p1">Rose is sensational. She arrives with the rest of the superheroes and they all set to work immediately, easily collaborating with law enforcement. The shop is blocked off to all civilians and the superheroes seamlessly begin the investigation. Rose, with her super-strength, begins picking up large pieces of debris. It’s interesting, Albus thinks a moment later, frowning. Most of the damage was caused by the people rushing out of the store, not by the fireball itself. Still, the damage is visible. It’s mostly cosmetic damage, but the shop has still suffered an evident blow. A few people are being transported to the hospital for minor injuries, though it doesn’t seem as though anyone got trampled. The major issue is the huge bird with the A mark, but it’s manageable. Everything is fine. Everyone is fine.</p><p class="p1">Except–</p><p class="p1">“Lily, Scorpius, do either of you need to go to the hospital?” Albus asks, the worry returning in a flood. Lily swiftly shakes her head. She seems dazed, still, but not physically hurt. Scorpius seems alright, though Albus knows he’s secretive to a fault when it comes to his well-being. He won’t admit to being hurt until he’s literally falling apart.</p><p class="p1">“Just some bruising, I think. I’m fine,” he says. Albus waits a beat and then decides to believe Scorpius. He won’t deny that Scorpius is clearly in pain, but it seems manageable. For now.</p><p class="p1">“Okay,” Albus says firmly, “we’ve got to get home. Mum’ll be worried, and my dad’s probably coming to look at what’s happening."</p><p class="p1">“Wait, Albus,” Lily interrupts, closing her eyes and shaking her head, “I can’t go back. I’ve got to – I’ve got to find Delphi. I don’t know where she went.”</p><p class="p1">Albus hesitates and looks back at the shop. No, Delphi won’t be in there. It’d been empty. She must’ve gotten out. She <em>has</em> to have gotten out. He feels the panic returning, but Delphi’s smart. <em>Mmm</em>, debatable, actually. But she's at least smart enough to get herself out of a smoking building that’s falling apart, right? Merlin, he dearly hopes so. He would have seen Delphi if she were inside.</p><p class="p1">“It’s fine. It’s fine, Lily. I’m sure she got out fine. Let’s get home and I’ll text her and OWL her, okay?”</p><p class="p1">“No, I’ve got to find her,” Lily insists, and she looks dangerously close to tears. Lily’s tough. She’s usually never reduced to tears. Albus swallows but he squeezes her hand.</p><p class="p1">“Delphi’s quick and determined. I’m sure she’s fine. I promise you, Lil’ Lily. She’s tough – tough like you.”</p><p class="p1">Lily looks uncertain, but she finally nods. Albus’s worry does not fade. It’s uncharacteristic of Lily to be so erratic and upset, but she’s also just seen a terrifying attack. He’ll keep a close eye on her; she’s <em>got</em> to get better. She’s his little sister.</p><p class="p1">It’s about a fifteen minute walk home. Albus constantly looks over at Scorpius with worry, but he’s advancing, seemingly, without a problem. Lily’s just quiet and her tiny hand is trembling. Her sniffs don’t subside. When the house is in view, Ginny is already outside. The moment she sees them coming around the corner, she rushes to their side. Lily bursts into tears and runs to hug her and Ginny envelopes her in a tight embrace, her expression stricken with panic and fierceness that’s unique to Ginny Potter.</p><p class="p1">“I wanted to come, but I wasn’t sure where, exactly, you all were. Your father OWLed me too – he’s on it,” she says, a tremor in her voice, but her eyes are set on Albus as she rubs Lily’s back. “Are you alright? Are all of you alright? Come inside, now.”</p><p class="p1">She’s quick on her feet; she wraps an arm around Lily and begins to guide her towards the house, while Albus and Scorpius follow along in a hurry.</p><p class="p1">“Mum, I’m fine,” Albus says. He glances towards Scorpius, who nods, even though he’s behind them all. He pulls out his OWL and Albus realizes he’s going to OWL his father. Sometimes, Albus thinks, supposed supervillain Draco Malfoy cares more about his child than Harry Potter does.</p><p class="p1">“Yes, me too. I’m fine,” Scorpius says, missing a beat. Albus tries to meet Scorpius’s eyes, but Scorpius won’t comply.</p><p class="p1">. . .</p><p class="p1">Albus’s room is small compared to the other rooms, but he’s got a couch. It’s been set up nicely for Scorpius. Ginny had offered him the guest room, or even James’s bed for the visit, but Albus and Scorpius had both declined. Part of the fun of having Scorpius over is the whispers they get to share at night when they can’t sleep. Albus will claim that it’s annoying when Scorpius wakes him up in the middle of the night for random reasons, but to be honest… he finds it endearing. He’s the first person Scorpius turns to for advice, and the sentiment goes both ways.</p><p class="p1">It makes him feel wanted.</p><p class="p1">Scorpius sits on his makeshift bed and carefully removes his jacket. Albus sits next to him, taking a clear look at his arm and his stomach sinks. The good news is that there’s no blood and nothing looks broken. The bad news is that the bruise is already a nasty shade of purple and stretches from just below his shoulder to his elbow. It’s a large bruise and there’s a bit of swelling.</p><p class="p1">“Oh, that looks – I asked if you were okay earlier,” he says softly, meeting Scorpius’s eyes. Scorpius blinks and then offers a weak smile.</p><p class="p1">“I <em>am</em> okay. It looks bad, but I’m so pale that everything looks bad on me. It’s just bruising, Al, it’ll be fine. Besides, Lily was so upset, I think she’s… actually hurt.”</p><p class="p1">Albus pauses, but then nods.</p><p class="p1">“Yeah, she’s a wreck. But that doesn’t diminish your injury. I have a painkiller somewhere, it’s from Delphi – the one she uses for her headaches. It should help with the pain, I think.”</p><p class="p1">Scorpius pauses, but then he shakes his head and fishes for his pajamas from his suitcase.</p><p class="p1">“No, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. It looks bad, but it’ll be gone in a few days.”</p><p class="p1">Albus seriously doubts that. Bruises like that last for weeks.</p><p class="p1">“Please take a little bit? It’s just to make sure you’re fine. It’ll take the pain away and help you sleep. I can’t imagine sleeping on your arm will be comfortable tonight…”</p><p class="p1">Scorpius hesitates again and then nods. Albus’s stomach sinks a bit more. He knows that the pain must be awful if Scorpius is agreeing to pain medication. He reaches under his bed and pulls out the blue little bottle that Delphi had given him and fills a little cup with it. The liquid is sweet. Even he can smell it. It reminds him of Delphi, a bit.</p><p class="p1">He hands Scorpius the cup and watches him down it. As soon as he’s drank it all, Scorpius grimaces as if in pain.</p><p class="p1">“Is something wrong?” Albus asks immediately, his heart racing. He goes to sit besides Scorpius again, his hand resting on his best friend’s back. “Are you – are you okay?”</p><p class="p1">“‘m fine,” Scorpius says, wiping at his mouth, “it’s just… <em>really</em> sweet. Too sweet.”</p><p class="p1">Albus laughs, unexpectedly. It’s the surprise of Scorpius’s words and the relief that he’s alright. He shakes his head in wonder.</p><p class="p1">“Scorpius Malfoy, saying something is too sweet. Are you <em>sure</em> you’re okay? The Scorpius I know loves sweets.”</p><p class="p1">His words make Scorpius smile too. The smile, though, fades all too quickly. Grey eyes lock with Albus’s eyes. It makes Albus's heart hammer in his chest.</p><p class="p1">“Al, what were you doing?” Scorpius quietly asks, looking directly into his eyes. He reaches out and takes one of Albus’s hands. Scorpius’s hand is warm and it reassures Albus.</p><p class="p1">He knew this conversation was coming. He did not adequately prepare.</p><p class="p1">“I don’t know,” he admits. There is no point in lying to Scorpius, who’ll see right through him. “I honestly don’t know. I’m so sorry, Scorpius. You shouldn’t have followed me. I was being – stupid.”</p><p class="p1">“I <em>had</em> to follow you. You’re my best friend,” Scorpius says quietly, but his eyes are filled with sadness and worry. Albus will never cease to be amazed by Scorpius’s ability to worry about others when he’s clearly the one who’s hurt. “I’d follow you anywhere. But I know that when I saw you running off, I knew you’d been having problems with your dad and I was just… I got scared, that’s it.”</p><p class="p1">Albus feels guilty as the words settle in. It’s true. Being reckless has consequences that reach others.</p><p class="p1">“I’m sorry,” he says. “Scorpius, I’m truly sorry. I wish I could tell you what I was thinking, but something just came over me. I can’t really – I wish I could explain.”</p><p class="p1">Scorpius is silent. He usually knows exactly what to say, but Albus knows he stuns him into silence sometimes. They’re both quiet for several seconds longer, and then Scorpius goes back to searching for his pajamas.</p><p class="p1">“I’ve OWLed my dad. He was freaking out and he wanted to come pick me up, but I promised him we were fine.”</p><p class="p1">Albus swallows and nods. Yes, that’s safe. And it’s, once again, proof that supervillain Draco Malfoy is a better father than Harry Potter. It’s nighttime, and Harry has yet to arrive home. Though, to be fair, Albus doesn’t really fancy the idea of seeing him.</p><p class="p1">“Good. I promise you’re safe, Scorp. Everything’ll be better tomorrow, alright?”</p><p class="p1">Scorpius meets his eyes now. The grey eyes are sleepy, no doubt from the painkiller, but they’re filled with the usual gentleness and kindness that’s <em>so very Scorpius</em>. It makes Albus grins.</p><p class="p1">“Good night. Hope you feel better, sleepyhead.”</p><p class="p1">“Good night, Al,” Scorpius whispers back, pulling his pajamas on and then settling onto the couch. Albus watches him for a moment before turning the lights off.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for your lovely comments! I thrive off of them. I hope you're all enjoying thus far! Next chapter will explain a lot of what's happening. Thank you for reading! xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Warmth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <strong>YEAR ONE</strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">Harry Potter (or the mighty <em>Chosen One</em>) is not pleased with his younger son. He will never be pleased. To Albus, that much is crystal clear. As he mounts the Hogwarts Express, there are whispers all around him. He’s running so hard <em>just</em> to stay in place. Life is a marathon, not a race, and yet... Albus feels as though he's not even advancing.</p>
<p class="p1">Rose, on the other hand, is brimming with energy. Her dark red hair is pulled into space buns and there’s a splash of freckles on her face, all across her dark skin. She holds herself with all the confidence of a typical Rose. She carries her colossal trunk, too, with incredible ease. Albus struggles under the weight of his tiny one, and it is in that moment that he wishes the Earth would swallow him whole. <em>It’s not that I’m weaker than my cousin</em>, he wants to scream to the judging onlookers, <em>it’s just that she’s got super-strength and I’ve got nothing</em>. But as they board the train, everyone looks at Rose with wonder.</p>
<p class="p1">Albus only gets judging stares.</p>
<p class="p1">“Al, we need to concentrate,” Rose says under her breath, smiling brightly as she walks past different compartments. It’s incredible how she can maintain such a positive expression on her face. Albus struggles to keep up with her. He’s already winded. His breath is labored.</p>
<p class="p1">Rose keeps talking.</p>
<p class="p1">“You know, your dad met my mum and dad on their first Hogwarts Express.”</p>
<p class="p1">She says the words with so much confidence that Albus struggles to think of the implications of what she’s saying. He blinks, grunting as he pushes his trunk forward.</p>
<p class="p1">“What – we need to choose who we’re going to be friends with for life?” he asks, voice climbing higher and higher. The prospect is terrifying. Maybe <em>Rose</em> will fit in with ease, but Albus isn’t sure he has that gift. Rose says something in reply, but Albus doesn’t hear her, because they’re suddenly towards the rear of the train and there’s one empty-ish compartment left. He didn’t even realize they’d walked that far down.</p>
<p class="p1">He peeks through the window of the compartment. There’s a boy there – another first year student, from the looks of it. He’s thin and pale and his hair is the lightest color Albus has ever seen. He looks… familiar, doesn’t he? But whatever that familiarity is doesn’t stop Albus. He pulls the compartment door open.</p>
<p class="p1">Immediately, he notices how warm the compartment is. It’s not uncomfortably warm. It’s comforting. It smells sweet and it feels relaxing. Albus can’t pinpoint what, exactly, it is that he’s smelling. Is it a greenhouse? A meadow on a golden afternoon? Whatever it is, his anxieties melt away. He’s shocked by his own reaction. He'd been having a perfectly lousy day, and now he feels at ease.</p>
<p class="p1">“Hi. Sorry. Is this compartment… open?” he asks, trying to mask his wonder. He looks towards the boy, who looks incredibly stressed. He’s pushed up against the window, clutching a paper bag, and he’s sort of curled into himself. The moment Albus speaks, though, he looks up to make eye contact.</p>
<p class="p1">Albus blinks. Those eyes are familiar. They’re grey and they seem to look directly into his soul. The boy still seems afraid, though, as he says nothing, but he releases the paper bag he’s holding so tightly and one of his fingers twists slightly in the air. Albus realizes what’s happening almost immediately.</p>
<p class="p1">“Oh,” he says, but then composes himself. He releases his trunk with care. Rose is nowhere to be found; perhaps she’s slipped off into some other compartment. Albus swallows and then shakes his probably-bruised-from-carrying-the-trunk hand to loosen it up.</p>
<p class="p1"><em> “I said: is this compartment open?” </em>Albus signs, to which he notices the other boy’s eyes light up. Albus feels a rush of relief and grins as the boy eagerly nods, sitting up straighter.</p>
<p class="p1">Great. Now they can communicate.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>“Yes. Yes, it is. I heard you. I’m sorry I didn’t answer. I’m... I'm on the autism spectrum and sometimes it’s difficult for me to speak verbally. I’m just a little nervous today. I mean, I think everyone is. Rightfully so. But, yes, it’s free! Hi!”</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">The words flow effortlessly from the other boy’s hands and Albus’s smile only grows. His anxiety is now fully gone. It’s incredible how out in the corridor with Rose, he’d been so stressed. Now, he just feels welcomed. Besides, the boy's got a lot of words, clearly, once he's opened up.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>“No worries. My babysitter is autistic and Deaf, actually, so we all learned BSL. Not that I still need a babysitter. I mean, my sister does. She’s only nine. But… thank you. Mind if I join you?”</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">The blond boy’s smile falters, and Albus worries he’s said something wrong. He takes a step back, preparing to leave if he’s unwanted. Or maybe that’s not it: maybe the boy just wants to be alone to calm down, Albus tells himself, hoping desperately that that’s the reason for the hesitation.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“I know who you are. You’re Albus Potter. And I’m Scorpius… Malfoy.” </em>The boy’s hands tremble as he pauses, before continuing.<em> “Our parents… didn’t get on.”</em></p>
<p class="p1">Albus realizes the problem immediately and he feels a sinking in his stomach. Yes, <em>that’s</em> why the boy had seemed familiar. He recalls seeing Scorpius’s father on television before, as a notorious supervillain. But that’d been years ago, hadn’t it? Albus can’t recall the Malfoy family causing problems and landing on the news lately. And even if they did – a spiteful part of Albus thinks it would serve his father right to see him befriend the son of his sworn ex-arch-nemesis.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“That’s alright,” </em>Albus signs. He feels his decision is made. Most of all, it’s solidified by the warmth that Scorpius carries around him. If the mighty Chosen One’s got issues with Albus’s choice of friendships, then that’s simply too bad. He closes the compartment door and steps right in, sitting down and pushing the trunk under his seat. Across from him, Scorpius restores his smile. The whole compartment brightens up.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Would you like some sweets? My mum said that it’s the way to make friends,” </em>he signs earnestly, reaching for the paper bag once more and holding it out. Albus peeks inside and sees finely-wrapped chocolate frogs. He picks one out.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Yes. I’m staying. For your sweets, of course,”</em> he replies. Mum’s been trying to push them off sugar, but no one in the family listens. Albus suspects Scorpius, like him, is a candy enthusiast. It’s a small thing, but it’s an indicator of a potential friendship. As he finishes signing, he pulls the wrapper off the chocolate frog and plops it into his mouth.</p>
<p class="p1">Across from him, Scorpius does the same. The chocolate must have melted quickly, because he gets a bit of it on his cheek. Albus thinks they’re going to get along very well.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>He wakes up.</em>
</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <strong>BEFORE YEAR SEVEN</strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">It’s the sunlight that wakes Albus up. He’s not a morning person. Lately, he hasn’t been an evening person either.He’s just… not a person. He feels invisible and unwelcome and he’s tired all the damn time. It takes him several seconds to shake out of his dream. He’s been dreaming of his first year quite a bit, lately. That’d been the first hellish year he’d endured, and dreaming about it nightly isn’t doing him any favors.</p>
<p class="p1">But… whatever. He doesn’t want to think about that anymore. He prefers to think about his friends. He prefers to think about <em>Scorpius</em>.</p>
<p class="p1">Scorpius is usually the first to wake up. When the sun starts to rise, so does Scorpius. He tries to be quiet, bless him, but he always knocks things over and ends up whispering a guilt-ridden <em>sorry</em>. Usually, Albus pretends to be playfully annoyed, though he’s long grown used to Scorpius fumbling at six in the morning. Today, though, he’s missed out on that.</p>
<p class="p1">Scorpius is still asleep, no doubt because of the painkillers. He’s curled up tightly on his good arm, nestled under a blanket. It’s summer, but Scorpius always insists on sleeping with a weighted blanket. Albus doesn’t understand it, but that’s okay. He accepts it. He’s even brought an extra air-conditioning unit to keep the room nice and cool for Scorpius’s visit. Albus knows that he’d roast himself to death under a heavy blanket during summer, and he wants to avoid Scorpius from suffering from that fate.</p>
<p class="p1">Seeing as there’s no point in getting up if Scorpius isn’t up, Albus settles back into bed, rolling onto his side and unplugging his phone. His OWL sits on the nightstand too, and there’s no OWL letters near it. He checks his phone for a text. There’s one from James, asking him if he’s alright. Albus shoots a reassuring text back and checks his Messenger, Twitter, and Instagram in hopes of seeing a message from Delphi. But there’s none.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Don’t panic, </em>he tells himself. <em>You texted her late. She was probably asleep when you sent it. She’s fine.</em></p>
<p class="p1">To take his mind off things, he scrolls through the news. As he’d expected, yesterday’s incident dominates the headlines. There’s speculation about who’s behind it. Experts, it seems, are weighing in as to whether it’s the work of a previously active supervillain or whether it’s a new threat entirely. Opinions are fairly split. On the bright side, though, it looks as though no one is blaming the Malfoys. Scorpius has to deal with enough crap; he doesn’t need any additional agression.</p>
<p class="p1">There are several articles praising the Chosen One’s quick response, and Albus rolls his eyes. He sees Rose in several pictures, too. Her hair is in its signature space buns and her dark brown eyes glitter with pride and resolve.</p>
<p class="p1">Interestingly enough, there’s also talk about the OWL network having issues lately. OWLs – Omnipotent Wireless Letters – are supposed to be a fail-safe for delivering messages, hence the pretentious name. It’s a fairly simple process, really. You get an OWL (a little owl-shaped device that can usually fit onto keychains) and then you add contacts on it. Then, you select which contact you’d like to send a physical letter to, and the OWL network sends the letter. Texts are much easier, but supervillains occasionally knock cellular service out. The reason OWLs are so helpful is because they technically <em>can’t</em> be knocked out. The OWL network functions by employing real people with teleportation superpowers who manually “send” each OWL letter and transport it to the receiver’s device. The letter teleports within five feet of whoever has the receiving OWL device. Albus remembers the first time he received his own OWL letter. It’d been a gift from his father. He’d been overjoyed. God, what he’d give for some of that cheer now…</p>
<p class="p1">Scorpius's sudden stirring pulls him out of his thoughts. Albus exits out of Apple News and glances over. It’s nearly nine in the morning; it’s far later than Scorpius ever wakes up. That medicine must have <em>really</em> worked. Scorpius opens his eyes, but they’re still full of sleep.</p>
<p class="p1">“You up? How are you feeling?” Albus asks softly, glancing over. Scorpius yawns and rubs at his eyes, taking several breaths. He blinks.</p>
<p class="p1">“Sleepy. Really sleepy. But I don’t feel any pain. What time is it?” he asks, yawning again. Albus grins, because, tired as he sounds, he sounds like Scorpius again. Geeky, awkward Scorpius.</p>
<p class="p1">“It’s almost nine. You <em>really</em> got a sleep in, huh?” he asks, sitting back up. Scorpius’s eyes widen with surprise at the mention of the time.</p>
<p class="p1">“Nine? Holy – holy heck. Wow. Well, er… wow.” He carefully sits up, too, and pulls his sleeve up. Albus, not prepared for the sight, gasps. It’s all a deep purple color – the bruising goes much further than he’d originally thought. It’d covered Scorpius’s shoulder and elbow last night, but today, it’s extended to his forearm too. Against the pale skin, the agressive bruising seems even deeper,</p>
<p class="p1">“It… doesn’t hurt, at least,” Scorpius offers, looking honest. “I don’t know what Delphi puts in that stuff, but… it works wonders. Is she okay, by the way? Where is she?”</p>
<p class="p1">“That’s the question of the day,” Albus murmurs. He leans in to inspect the bruising. All he can say is that he’s extremely grateful for Delphi’s stupid painkilling drugs. Without them, he thinks Scorpius would be wracked with pain, because the bruising looks intense. It’ll take weeks for it to entirely fade away. The rush of guilt hits Albus once more. He’d been the one to run towards the burning shop, and Scorpius had only gotten hurt because of him…</p>
<p class="p1">“Should I text her? She was with Lily, wasn’t she? I’ll text her,” Scorpius says, immediately reaching for his phone. But Albus shakes his head.</p>
<p class="p1">“I mean, you can text her, but I already did. She hasn’t opened it yet.” He tries to not let the worry get to him. Lily had been so upset last night. Perhaps she still is. Had it been related to Delphi? Had she seen Delphi get hurt? Albus pushes the thoughts away. No, that’s not it. The news had <em>clearly</em> reported that there were only a few minor injuries. The largest repercussions from the attack were mass panic and fear, but not substantial injuries. Delphi’s fine. She’s probably knocked out from those stupid painkilling drugs or dyeing her hair again.</p>
<p class="p1">“Oh,” Scorpius says quietly. Then he sets his phone down. He doesn’t like feeling useless; Albus has learned as much. It’s one of the things he adores about him. If there’s anything to be done about a situation, Scorpius will always do everything in his ability to make it better. For now, though, Scorpius should focus on himself. He’s the one with the heavily-bruised arm.</p>
<p class="p1">“Look, she’s fine. I’m sure she is.” Albus sounds more confident than he feels. “Let’s talk about... are you feeling more awake yet, sleepyhead?”</p>
<p class="p1">As if on cue, Scorpius yawns again. But he nods, rubbing his eyes and laughing at himself.</p>
<p class="p1">“Yes. I am. That was a strong painkiller. So, yes, I’m fine.” He grins.</p>
<p class="p1">Their eyes meet.</p>
<p class="p1">For a moment, everything is fine. Everyone else is forgotten. The room is warm and the sunlight is glittering. Albus is transfixed on the sparkling in Scorpius’s eyes. He makes grey the most vibrant color of them all. Albus would have never known there was so much dynamism in grey.</p>
<p class="p1">Then, Scorpius hesitates and his grin slips away.</p>
<p class="p1">“Albus… are you ready to talk about yesterday?” Scorpius asks. His voice is gentle and soft. Hiseyes are riddled with concern. It fills Albus with guilt. It is so very <em>Scorpius</em> to worry about someone else in times of pain.</p>
<p class="p1">Even worse, Albus finds he cannot no longer meet Scorpius’s eyes. He looks away, swallowing. No, he’s not ready to talk about yesterday. He doesn’t know if he’ll ever be, given the way things are going. Everything just feels wrong, and he can’t quite describe why.</p>
<p class="p1">“No,” he admits, voice dropping. “Sorry, I just – I can’t. Not because I don’t want to share it with you, I just.. I don’t know what I was thinking, exactly.”</p>
<p class="p1">Scorpius pauses, but then he smiles. It lifts Albus’s spirits instantly. The room brightens, literally, and there’s a gust of warm wind that flies in through the window. Scorpius’s power is incredible; it is soothing. It fills Albus with comfort.</p>
<p class="p1">“It’s okay to not be ready. But whenever you are, I’m here to listen. You know that, right?” he offers. Then he signs an <em>I love you</em> with his good hand. It’s a thing they do – they’ve been doing it for years.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“You’re incredible,”</em> Albus signs, before adding an <em>I love you</em> to punctuate it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for following along! as always, reviews mean the world to me! i hope you're all staying healthy and safe during these times. i'm always here to chat if anyone needs anything!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Rainbows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <strong>BEFORE YEAR SEVEN</strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">Of course, the good mood can’t last all day. Scorpius and Albus are in their bedroom, minding their own <em>damn</em> business and laying in bed (or on the couch, in Scorpius’s case), and Harry Potter has to butt in.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>He always has to butt in. </em>
</p>
<p class="p1">Albus feels like an angsty teen, but, like seriously. C’mon. He looks up from his phone. Bad idea, because his dad looks like he means business. Albus swallows and sits up immediately, sensing trouble. Great. <em>Brilliant</em>. Scorpius has literally been visiting for less than 24 hours and everything’s already gone to shit. The tension in the air is so palpable that Scorpius, too, sits up. Too quickly, because he winces slightly and cradles his hurt arm, but he quickly recovers his neutral expression. Albus feels a rush of worry, but Scorpius shakes his head slightly and offers him a subtle, reassuring smile, before turning to Harry. </p>
<p class="p1">“Hello, Mr. Potter,” he greets, voice cracking slightly. Harry meets Scorpius’s eyes and hesitates before offering a forced smile and a nod. Albus wants to fight right then and there, but he can sense that now is <em>not</em> the time to do that. The words of Craig Bowker Jr., one of his house prefects, echo back at him: <em>You gotta pick your battles, Albus. Not all of those. Don't pick that many. Fewer. Fewer, Albus.</em></p>
<p class="p1">Fewer, Albus. </p>
<p class="p1">“We need to talk,” Harry says, interrupting Albus's thoughts and turning to him. Albus can already feel his stomach twisting unpleasantly. He does not want to talk. Lately, it feels like every time he and his dad talk, everything just gets more and more strained. To make matters worse, Scorpius seems to realize that he is not welcome in Harry Potter’s chat. He jumps slightly and then hastily nods, picking up his phone and his OWL.</p>
<p class="p1">“Yes. Of course. Al, I’ll be… er, outside,” he stammers, wobbling onto his feet and anxiously walking around Harry Potter. Albus wants to stop him; he wants to tell Scorpius to stay with him. Whatever his dad wants to say, he can say it to them both. But judging from the Chosen One’s expression, Scorpius will only get hurt it he stays. Albus meets Scorp's eyes for a moment. Scorpius nods encouragingly, giving him a small smile. It’s the anxiety that’s hidden behind the smile that gets Albus, though. Still, whatever his dad’s planning on saying – Albus won’t let him disparage Scorpius.</p>
<p class="p1">The moment Scorpius leaves and closes the door behind him, the room is visibly darker. Cooler, too. It’s as though a cloud has covered the sun, but Albus knows it’s more than that. It’s the absence of Scorpius’s presence, of his power. Even Harry seems to notice it, because he glances around uneasily before carefully sitting on the couch. Albus, still sitting on his bed, says nothing.</p>
<p class="p1">“How are you, Al?” Harry asks softly, quietly. He looks exhausted, already in a dress shirt and a rumpled tie. It’ll be a long day at the Department of Law Enforcement, Albus imagines. He doesn't care, though. He only looks down at his lap, already over the conversation.</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m fine. I’d be a lot better if you didn’t come in here and shoo Scorpius away,” he says flatly, though he’s trying to keep his temper under check. Harry’s expression remains the same, though his eyes seem to fill with genuine regret. Albus doesn’t care. It’s too late for that.</p>
<p class="p1">“What we’re dealing with,” the Chosen One carefully begins, “is, we have reason to believe, an old threat. Or at least, that’s what the attacker wants us to think.”</p>
<p class="p1">Albus blinks. He has no idea what this has got to do with their strained relationship or with Scorpius.</p>
<p class="p1">“Okay…” he says, waiting for his dad to finish. There must be a point he’s trying to make. Albus isn’t sure he wants to know what it is.</p>
<p class="p1">Harry sighs and Albus wants to snap at him to spit it out. The moment draws out for a second too long.</p>
<p class="p1">“Preliminary reports suggest that whoever attacked that shop is – someone we know. That seal that they left stamped on the outside of the building, it's an augurey, a type of bird genetically engineered years ago by the House of Black.” Harry’s words hang in the air. He doesn’t need to explain any further, because it all suddenly snaps into place. The House of Black had been a family of notorious supervillains. They’d all served the darkest supervillain in modern history, Lord Voldemort. The Black family name had died out after Moldy Voldy's fall, for the most part, but Narcissa Black had married Lucius Malfoy – and the Malfoy name was <em>well-known</em> among the supervillain crowd. And that all came down to Scorpius.</p>
<p class="p1">“Okay,” Albus repeated, his temper rising. “That’s great. I’m glad you’ve got a lead. But to suggest that this is related to the Malfoys because of a stupid bird is ridiculous. You know that, right? The Blacks had their own supervillain seal, one with a B in it. And the Malfoys had their own seal too. And the Death Eaters had <em>their</em> own seal. So you can’t say that just because this seal looks like an augurey, it’s automatically connected to Scorpius’s family. In fact, it's probably not, since it's, you know, a seal we haven't ever seen before. And it has an A. I don't think there's anyone with an 'A' name in Scorpius's family.”</p>
<p class="p1">Besides, it might not be an augurey at all. Maybe it’s some random bird. And maybe the A stands for some other surname or organization. Harry, though, just sighs. He rubs his nose as though Albus is giving him a headache and Albus begins to see red. This is the game he and his father always play. It’s not going to end well, he can already tell. The odds were never in his favor. They're always rooting for the Chosen One. Of course they are; the rules were created by the Chosen One. </p>
<p class="p1">“I haven’t said that yet,” Harry says, looking utterly exhausted. His dark green eyes are weary. His skin, usually dark and even, is unnaturally pale. “But since you’ve jumped straight into it, Albus, I’m going to ask you very plainly: where were you and Scorpius during the attack yesterday?”</p>
<p class="p1">Albus feels his heart begin to kick in his check. The adrenaline is coursing through him. He grips his comforter to try to keep calm, but his dad is fucking accusing him and Scorpius of being behind that fucking attack. He wishes he could say he were surprised, but he’s not. He's just bitterly, bitterly disappointed by the complete lack of trust.</p>
<p class="p1">“We were walking. Scorpius was with me the whole time.” Albus is pleased with his voice; it is emotionless and calm. On the inside, though, he's raging. “Mum asked us to go pick some things up for dinner, since you were running late. The shop was attacked before Scorpius and I even got there.”</p>
<p class="p1">Harry looks as though he doesn’t believe him. Albus doesn’t care. Mum will back them up. Dozens of fucking witnesses will back them up. Justice isn't based off of what Harry Potter thinks and believes. </p>
<p class="p1">“Then why,” Harry asks, voice softer, “were you and Scorpius inside the store? If it was attacked before you got there?”</p>
<p class="p1">The blood drains from Albus’s face. He’d ran straight into the shop upon seeing the fireball crash into it, and he still can’t articulate why he did that. But in doing so, he’d lured Scorpius after him, and now he’s potentially passed the blame onto his best friend. Upon seeing his Albus's paling face, Harry sighs again, looking away and clenching his jaw.</p>
<p class="p1">“I ran in there to–to help,” Albus whispers, voice barely under control. “Check the security cameras. You’ll see that the fireball exploded way before Scorpius and I got there. And Scorpius followed me. <em>I’m</em> the one who ran at the store. Scorpius wanted to make sure I didn’t get myself hurt. I don’t see you questioning Rose.”</p>
<p class="p1">The situation is different in Rose’s case, but Albus is too damn tired to argue it any further. Most of all, he feels a growing horror. The fact that he’s possibly dragged Scorpius into all this, after being the reason Scorpius got hurt, is too much to bear. He really had to provide himself to – who, exactly? He’d ran in there to try to prove himself to someone, but he isn’t even sure who he’d been trying to impress in the moment.</p>
<p class="p1">“This isn’t your cousin’s fault,” Harry says automatically. “You always bring Rose up in these conversations. This isn’t about her. Al, the reason I’m bringing this all up isn’t just because of the augurey or the seal. The Department found that whoever set the fireball off likely used an OWL to communicate about it shortly afterwards. It was traced to this home. <em>Our</em> home. There could be a mistake, of course, and Lord knows that the OWL network’s been experiencing bugs lately. Victoire’s been keeping the Department updated. But to get to the bottom of this, I want to make sure I have all the facts before going in. I’m not trying to pin this on you or Scorpius. I'm trying to help our family.”</p>
<p class="p1">Maybe he’s not trying to blame them, but it sure sounds like it, Albus bitterly thinks. His dad has disliked Scorpius for ages. Towards the beginning of their friendship, it’s like he’d thought that Albus would find other friends, the way Rose and James and Louis and Molly had. The Chosen One’s thoughts have always been extraordinarily clear to Albus. But Albus and Scorpius have remained steadfast friends and Albus doesn’t ever see that changing.</p>
<p class="p1">They’re best friends. They belong together. Delphi had told them that, once. It was true then and it’s true now.</p>
<p class="p1">“Well, I don’t know what to tell you, dad,” Albus says stiffly. “Scorpius <em>literally</em> just got here yesterday. And he’s our <em>guest</em>, I’d like to remind you. If you think Scorpius sent some OWL communicating to someone else to plan that attack, then you can just as easily blame me. Or Lily. Or mum. Or Rose, for that matter! She was here a few days ago, wasn’t she? And Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione–“</p>
<p class="p1">“That’s enough,” Harry interjects. His eyes flash. Albus feels a bit of grim triumph. Yeah, seems like his dad doesn’t like it much when he blames anyone besides Scorpius. Maybe he’ll finally get how Albus feels. “I’m not here accusing Scorpius and you shouldn’t be here accusing your sister and your mum and the rest of our family.” He frowns, then, and shakes his head, tone softening. Maybe he’s seeing reason? But Albus knows better than to get his hopes up.</p>
<p class="p1">“Your friend, Delphini. She was here, wasn’t she?” he suddenly asks, looking at Albus again, meeting his eyes. He looks as though he’s trying to catch Albus in a lie. It doesn’t work.</p>
<p class="p1">“Delphi? Dad, you’re blaming Delphi now? First Scorpius, now Delphi – just admit you don’t like people who aren’t related to us,” Albus snaps. He stands up, grabbing his phone. A few years ago, he would have thought twice about walking out on his dad mid-conversation, but this has gotten ridiculous. They’re getting nowhere.</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m not blaming anyone, Albus. I’m trying to gather all the facts.” Harry stands too. His gaze is intense. Albus scowls and looks away. He doesn’t want to take this any longer.</p>
<p class="p1">“Delphini <em>was</em> here, wasn’t she?” Harry presses. “Your mum mentioned she’d taken Lily out to practice flying.”</p>
<p class="p1">“You seriously think Delphi did this?” Albus whirls back around, meeting his dad’s unsettled expression with an incredulous one. “Delphi Diggory, who you’ve known for, like, eight years? Delphi who can’t shoot fireballs any more than Scorpius can? Get real, dad.” He storms to the door, longing for the warmth of Scorpius’s presence. It’s a much needed oasis after dealing with the Chosen One.</p>
<p class="p1">“Albus, have you been in contact with Delphini? Where is she now?” Harry asks, following him right to the door. His voice is louder now. Albus narrows his eyes as he glances right back at him.</p>
<p class="p1">“I don’t know where she is. She hasn’t responded to my texts. Doesn’t make her guilty. Try asking Lily, who last spoke to her. Or for that matter, try asking mum. Mum can actually shoot fireballs, you know.”</p>
<p class="p1">He spits those last few words. Harry calls out his name, but Albus is already dashing towards their library, where he knows that Scorpius will be. It’s where he always takes refuge. Sure enough, when he enters (making sure to slam the door behind him, so his dad doesn’t get any silly ideas about trying to talk to him for any longer), Scorpius is curled up in a beanbag with a book wide open. But he’s not reading. Instead, he’s pale. His hands are trembling ever so slightly.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Do I need to leave? Should I call my dad to come get me?”</em> he signs, swallowing anxiously. In that moment, Albus wants to scream at Harry Potter for an hour straight for making Scorpius feel unwelcome. He shakes his head, sitting in the beanbag beside Scorpius. They’d used those same ones when they were younger, and now seems a fitting time as any to continue using them.</p>
<p class="p1">“No,” he says quietly. “Of course not. My dad is bang out of order. He’s gone completely mental. The whole Department has. He blamed Delphi too, I don’t know if you heard.”</p>
<p class="p1">Scorpius nods, though he still looks uncertain. His eyes are glittering just a bit too much. He’s taken disparaging comments his whole life, and Albus suddenly realizes how easy he has it in comparison. His anger fades away. The resentment is still there, but it’s now buried. Scorpius has taken precedence in his mind. The library is warm and golden and a single tear rolls down Scorpius’s cheek. Albus reaches out to wipe it away, and then they’re face-to-face. Perhaps Albus should be embarrassed or flustered, but he feels only confidence and relaxation. Everything is right. Scorpius’s eyes are dark, but they’re filled with an inexplicable kindness that’ll endure throughout anything.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Anything</em>. He means it. Albus means it so much, he thinks his heart will burst.</p>
<p class="p1">“I know you didn’t do anything. I know your dad didn’t do anything. Hell, your dad’s a better person than mine, Scorpius.”</p>
<p class="p1">Scorpius is silent. He looks down and nods. He’s sort of hunched into himself. Whenever he does that, he usually goes nonverbal too. Sometimes it’s because of external stimuli. Other times, it’s because he’s emotionally hurt. But Albus feels helpless now. It’s not like he can take back his or his dad’s raised voices. How awful must it be, to be one of the kindest persons to have ever walked the Earth and always be suspected? Not even because of your dad, but because of your <em>dad’s dad?</em> And with so much talk about the goddamn superheroes and supervillains, it’s people like Scorp who bear the brunt of the weight.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Thank you. You’re a good friend,”</em> Scorpius signs, offering a watery smile. His tears are quickly fading. It’s incredible how quickly he can pull it together. <em>“Just… let’s stay in here a bit? Read?”</em></p>
<p class="p1">Albus hates reading. He’ll probably watch TikToks and wait for an update from Delphi, but it’ll do. It’s more than enough.</p>
<p class="p1">“Of course,” Albus says quietly. He slinks back into the beanbag. Scorpius quickly opens his book again.</p>
<p class="p1">The day’s not going too terribly after all. Sure, his dad ruined it, but Scorpius has turned it back around.</p>
<p class="p1">. . .</p>
<p class="p1">They stay inside the library for several hours. Harry doesn’t try to bother them. Albus didn’t think he would. His dad, at least, has enough sense to—stay away when he knows he’s not wanted. Scorpius is enough. Between the two of them, safe in the library, everything seems okay.</p>
<p class="p1">He does miss Delphi, though. There’s still no update from her. Then again, it’s not unlike her to randomly disappear for days at a time. She’s — strange. Yet Albus still misses her terribly. Scorpius has been asking about her; he would have assumed Delphi would want to see Scorpius with equal excitement.</p>
<p class="p1">Hopefully she’s not hurt.</p>
<p class="p1">It’s around lunchtime when there’s a knock at the library door. Albus glances at Scorpius uneasily, who shrugs back at him. He’s engrossed in his book. So very Scorpius to turn to books when things are rough. Albus rolls his eyes, though he’s really quite endeared.</p>
<p class="p1">“Yeah?” he calls, removing an AirPod. He hopes it’s mum. <em>Please let it be mum. If God or Satan are out there, please let it not be dad–</em></p>
<p class="p1">“Albus? Albus, I’ve brought lunch. And Delphi is here.”</p>
<p class="p1">It’s mum. Oh, thank fucking goodness. Scorpius, at those words, even puts down his book, his whole expression brightening. The room, as usual, gets brighter with Scorp’s mood. Albus grins, relief washing over him. Thank his mom for existing and Delphi for being with her. He thinks of the <em>finally, some good fucking food</em> meme. Yeah, that’s the feeling.</p>
<p class="p1">“Coming,” he calls, but the door is already pulled open. He’s expecting… well, he’s not sure what he’s expecting. He doesn’t have time to develop that thought. There’s a flash of silver and blue as Delphi rushes through the door and tackles Scorpius in a hug, her squeaky giggles filling the tiny room. Scorpius, too, embraces her warmly, his eyes sparkling in excitement.</p>
<p class="p1">With a jolt, Albus realizes that Scorpius is now taller than Delphi. Huh. That’s what happens when they don’t see each other for a full year. Albus had seen her the day he returned from Hogwarts for summer break, of course, but this’ll be Scorp’s first time since… last summer break. It feels so long ago. But clearly the bond between Delphi and Scorpius has yet to fade.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Delphi. I missed you! I see Rose’s got you on the space bun trend now,” </em>Scorpius says once he’s pulled away. His hands sign effortlessly. Whenever he and Delphi speak, even Albus struggles to keep up. It’s like they have their own little language. Albus tries to not feel left out. Scorp is right, though: Delphi’s silver and blue hair is whipped into two messy space buns. It suits her.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“She has! She’s got all of us doing it. Will you and Al be next?”</em> she asks, grinning mischievously. She’s thinner, from her hands to her face to... her whole figure, really. But at least her eyes are sparkling as brightly as Scorpius’s.</p>
<p class="p1">They really look so similar. Albus had noticed it before, of course, but now that he and Scorp are older, it’s a lot more apparent. Both Scorp and Delphi are blond, both have the same eyes, same little quirks… He supposes this means that he has a best friend Type™.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Doubt it,”</em> Albus signs, wrinkling his nose. <em>“Then again, you, Rose, Lily, Polly… you all might convince us. Scorp and I’ll have to grow our hair out more, though. And nice to see you too, Delphi.”</em></p>
<p class="p1">Delphi cackles and wraps him in an equally-strong hug. She smells strongly of sugar. It masks the undertones of weed. Albus internally sighs. Hopefully his mum didn’t smell it, though she probably would have said something if she had.</p>
<p class="p1">“Well, I’ll leave the you three to it,” Ginny says, smiling. She sets a tray of sandwiches down and waits until Delphi is looking at her to repeat what she just said through sign. Delphi smiles and gives her a thumbs up. Albus can only assume this means that his dad didn’t tell his mum that he suspects Delphi. Or maybe he <em>had</em> told her and mum had ignored him, just the way she’d ignored any accusations hurled towards Scorpius. He can hope, right?</p>
<p class="p1">His hope fades as Ginny pauses at the door and meet Albus’s eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">“Albus?” she asks out loud, voice softer now. Albus swallows. It’s fine. Delphi’s here and Scorpius is here and they have food. It’s fine. It <em>is</em> fine. Everything is fine. </p>
<p class="p1">“I’m good, mum,” he assures her, nodding a lot more confidently than he feels. “Really. I’m fine. Thanks so much for the food. Scorp and I were starving.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Yeah, thanks, Mrs. Potter,” Scorpius chirps up. “Missed your food.”</p>
<p class="p1">Delphi, too, signs a quick thank you and doubles down on the thumbs up. Ginny looks at all three of them and then nods.</p>
<p class="p1">“Great. Well, if you want any more, just come on down. Tell Delphi that, too. And Al, your father’s gone to—he was called in because of the attack. Looks like it’s more serious than the Department originally thought. Don’t know when he’ll be back.”</p>
<p class="p1">Honestly, Albus feels nothing for relief. He purses his lips but nods. Ginny snorts.</p>
<p class="p1">“You remind me of myself when you do that,” she notes, but then turns to head out. “Behave yourselves. Tell Delphi I said that too,” she calls as she closes the door behind her.</p>
<p class="p1">Silence, for a moment. Albus listens for her retreating doorsteps before he lets out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Honestly, it’s not like he’s doing anything wrong, and mum doesn’t seem suspicious of Scorpius or Delphi, and still, Albus feels so damn nervous. Thankfully, Scorpius intervenes and makes it all less awkward.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Mrs. Potter said for us to behave ourselves,”</em> Scorpius signs to Delphi, breaking the silence. Delphi, who’s probably never behaved a day in her life, if you ask Albus, grins. Again, he’s struck by just how much she resembles Scorpius.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Always,”</em> she replies with an effortless sign, grabbing a sandwich and flopping down on the floor. She seems to delegate the beanbags for his and Scorp's use. Albus realizes that he’s starving and he, too, grabs a sandwich. Scorpius inspects them all, before picking one off the corner of the plate. This time, it’s Albus who interrupts the silence. He waits to capture Delphi’s attention before proceeding.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>“So, Delphi, what happened yesterday? Lily was all torn up. She thought you’d been hurt. And you haven’t answered my texts.”</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">He doesn’t want to sign it accusingly, but he’s still confused as to why she couldn’t have sent one goddamn text saying that she was fine. Delphi’s clearly picked up on the edge in his tone, because she sets her sandwich down and smiles sheepishly.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Sorry. My phone’s fucked.”</em> She pulls her phone out of her pocket and Albus can only laugh. Yeah. Fucked is an understatement. The screen is completely shattered and it’s missing parts. It looks like it’s been thrown against concrete twenty thousand times. Oh, typical Delphi. Even Scorpius chokes a little upon seeing the phone.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Fucked is an understatement,”</em> Albus says. <em>“Damn, what’d you to do that poor phone?”</em></p>
<p class="p1">Delphi’s eyes sparkle mischievously again. She looks between Albus and Scorpius.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Dropped it! From, like, twenty feet in the air. Lily and I were working on her flying, I was helping her with her posture, really, and I was trying to film a TikTok of us in the sky. Lost my grip. I mean, it’s Apple. Should have gotten a Nokia if I wanted something fall-proof.”</em> Delphi sighs, holding the phone out for Scorpius, who’s gesturing to see it. Honestly, from the looks of the damn phone, it looks as though even rice won’t be able to save it.</p>
<p class="p1">Delphi keeps on signing, and Scorpius has to look up from his inspection to catch what she’s saying. </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>“It still… flashes. Like, the flashlight still works. So it tells me when I get messages, I just can’t read them, or, you know, respond to them. Amos said that Siri still works, but that’s useless to me. Pretty ableist of Siri, if you ask me.”</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">Albus shouldn’t have asked. Now he has ten thousand more questions. Scorpius goes back to looking at the phone, grimacing as another piece of glass falls off the screen. Honestly, it’s a miracle the thing isn’t completely destroyed. Maybe Apple deserves more credit than they’re given.</p>
<p class="p1">Or maybe not. Another piece of glass falls off. Delphi groans, sadly watching it fall further apart.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“So… wow. Wait, Delphi. Lily… You were flying with her? As in, she was able to make you fly?” </em>Albus asks, still trying to piece it all together.<em> “‘Cause she was so upset yesterday. What happened? She didn’t… drop you, did she?”</em></p>
<p class="p1">Delphi’s smile fades slightly and Albus’s stomach sinks. He’s not sure he wants to know the answer.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Your mum asked me all sorts of questions before we came up here. Yeah, Lily was able to make me fly. I had no idea she could do that. It was, like, totally wizzo. But, er, yeah, she did drop me.” </em>Delphi pauses, but hurries to continue upon seeing Albus’s eyes widen in concern. <em>“Don’t worry! It wasn’t too high. I’ve fallen off of taller trees in the past, I swear. I was fine, but she was feeling really guilty. And she was upset, and in the middle of me trying to calm her down, everything broke loose. We were just by the little shop that got attacked.” Her face falls. “In the commotion, we got separated. I got scared, ‘cause obviously, I couldn't really hear anything and I had no clue what was going on. It was really disorienting. I stuck around to try to find Lily, and then I ran into Rose. She told me Lily had gone with you, so I just… went home. Rose is really fabulous, you know? She was killing it yesterday.”</em></p>
<p class="p1"><em>“She was,”</em> Scorpius interjects. Albus didn’t even know he’d been watching their conversation. He feels a coil of jealousy. If only Rose didn’t have to come into every damn conversation–!</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Yeah, never mind about Rose.”</em> Is he jealous? Maybe he is, but it’s perfectly reasonable for him to be jealous. His two best friends constantly praise her. It’s totally valid for him to be jealous! Yeah, definitely. <em>“Never mind all that. I’m sorry, Delphi. I didn’t know that happened. No wonder Lily was so upset. You’re sure you’re not hurt? I mean, a fall from that high…”</em></p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Yeah, a fall from that high sounds dangerous,”</em> Scorpius adds, looking up again. But Delphi only smiles at the two of them and flashes her friendship bracelet at them. The letters MPD shine in the sunlight pouring through the window.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“I’m fine. I swear. MPD?”</em> she asks, before sticking her hand in the middle. Scorpius relaxes, flashing his own bracelet with the matching letters. He sticks his hand on top of hers, and then turns to Albus expectingly.</p>
<p class="p1">Between the two of them, Albus can’t hesitate. He grins, showing them his MPD bracelet and adding his hand to the top. Together, in the middle, their hands shine brightly. The ray of sunlight directs itself exactly to the middle, hitting all of their bracelets and throwing cascades of rainbow lights around the library.</p>
<p class="p1">Scorpius smiles.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Malfoy-Potter-Diggory,”</em> he signs with his free hand. Delphi nods in agreement, expression as sunny as the room itself. Surrounded by his two favorite people, Albus’s moodiness fades away. He nods in resolve, and Scorpius and Delphi’s beaming faces are enough to ward off the negative energy from earlier.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>so sorry for the long wait!! i hope you're all staying healthy and safe. black lives matter and trans men are men and trans women are women. </p>
<p>i've got the next chapter about half-done, and i think i'll be making longer chapters as the story picks up! as always, reviews are SO appreciated. thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to leave a comment, even if it's something short! it means so much to me! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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